The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for tuning musical instruments having strings such as an electronic guitar. The invention relates to a novel simplified method and apparatus for stabilizing the selected position of a bridge assembly and maintenance of such stabilized position after a tremolo system is activated to vary the pitch of the strings to create novel musical effects.
The invention relates to tremolo control systems. Prior proposed tremolo systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,171,661 and 4,497,236, both issued through Floyd D. Rose. In Pat. No. 4,171,661 a tremolo system is disclosed in which a bridge assembly is provided having a pivotal connection with the guitar body and having means for tuning the guitar strings on the bridge assembly. The bridge assembly includes a spring arm which extends into a cavity in the bottom of the guitar body, the spring arm being connected with one or more tension springs to counter-balance the string tension.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,236, a similar tremolo system is disclosed showing a pivotally mounted bridge assembly having a depending flange connected at its lower end to springs for counter-balancing the string tension. Fine tuning of each of the strings is provided by a fine tuning apparatus connected to the bridge assembly and to the means for securing the end of the string to a system of blocks associated with each guitar string.
The tremolo systems above described require substantial time consuming procedures to precisely tune each guitar string to the desired pitch and to restore that pitch while tuning adjacent strings. Further, the presence and accumulation of dust in the various connections employed in tuning the strings increases the difficulty of fine tuning and also made unreliable the return to a pre-selected neutral tuned condition when the use of the tremolo arm was discontinued. Such prior proposed tremolo systems included the above disadvantages and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a tremolo system which obviates those disadvantages and provides a tremolo system which may be quickly fine tuned and in which the maintenance of such fine tuning will be retained after the tremolo system is inactivated.